Your son may be too old -- it only goes through 2nd grade -- but Maddux sounds like it would be a great fit. Yes, everyone there needs some help with social stuff and maybe other issues, but it prides itself on academic rigor and teaches kids how to deal with downtime in productive ways.

OP here again. I am not at all hung up on labels, and am completely aware of our son's challenges. he is a difficult case because in many ways he's very high functioning and smart, and an excellent learner, but he does have a host of issues that we have devoted most of his whole life (he is 7 now) to trying to address. He just started first grade. My concern about the progressive schools (such as Lowell) is that they may not be structured enough. He needs real structure and academic rigor; he does not do well with downtime.

St Patrick's

McLean School of Maryland & St. Andrews

Anonymous wrote:We are looking for a very structured but accepting/tolerant mainstream private school for our very bright son, who has ADHD, speech issues, and some motor planning challenges. Does anyone know of one?

Do you want/need him to get services at school? No idea how significant the issues are but what about a school like Lowell or WES?

If OP could give more info like age and what he (she) means by speech and motor issues, we can be more helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lab is a great school but it's not a mainstream school.

Sorry but not OP. There are kids with ADHD at every mainstream private school. I don't think OP is unreasonable by asking about them on this forum. The private school forum is nuts...

OP's son has ADHD, and motor issues, and speech issues. Yes, you will probably find kids with all of these issues at every private school, but very few if any are truly qualified to competently handle all of them. Visit Lab, OP b/f you throw around the word "typical." You seem very hung up on labels.

What grade?

OP here. Thank you for the replies. I posted here because my son is definitely SN - but we think he needs typical peer models and the academic rigor of mainstream schools. Who knows what will happen, though.

Anonymous wrote:Lab is a great school but it's not a mainstream school.

Sorry but not OP. There are kids with ADHD at every mainstream private school. I don't think OP is unreasonable by asking about them on this forum. The private school forum is nuts...

I would look at Jewish schools. They are very accepting and inclusive. My DS had great success at Gesher. They have small classes, very nice teachers, who have experience with smart but active kids.

Anonymous wrote:Lab is a great school but it's not a mainstream school.

Then post to the Private Schools Forum. Save yourself time, money, and heartache, OP. If you want your kid to succeed in a mainstream world later on, get them the help they need now. Don't get hung up on a mainstream label.

Lab is a great school but it's not a mainstream school.

Lab. Love it.

We are looking for a very structured but accepting/tolerant mainstream private school for our very bright son, who has ADHD, speech issues, and some motor planning challenges. Does anyone know of one?